Hi-tech softening enzymes offer hope of revival for Scottish wool industry

Clare Campbell of the zero-waste designers Prickly Thistle, which is one of the collaborators on the project. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

In a laboratory in Edinburgh, carefully selected enzymes are right now breaking down a sheep’s fleece in the name of science.

In a world-first research project that advocates for native textiles believe could catalyse a revival of the Scottish wool industry, researchers are exploring ways to treat the coarser fleece that is usually produced by hill-farmed flocks to make it more suitable for clothing.